Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday, July 4 an “emergency law” to accelerate the reconstruction of cities affected by the riots of the last week. Before the mayors of some 250 municipalities gathered at the Elysee Palace, the Head of State first said he was “very cautious” about the prospect of a return to “sustainable” calm, while considering that the “peak of the first evenings was “passed.” He therefore confirmed “exceptional means” to guarantee “sustainable, republican order”, and “maintain the effort and the pressure”, in particular for July 13 and 14, the eve and day of the national holiday.
The night riots broke out on June 27, hours after the death of 17-year-old Nahel M., killed by a police officer during a traffic check in Nanterre. Clashes with the police, burning of town halls, schools, police stations and looting of shops have multiplied across France, culminating in the attack on the home of Vincent Jeanbrun, mayor of L’Haÿ-les-Roses, in Val-de-Marne, before a sharp drop in the last two nights. Thirteen “serious attacks” on elected officials have been identified, said Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.
Milestone “at the end of summer”
Regarding the destruction suffered by the municipalities, the Head of State announced an “emergency law to crush all delays” and accelerate reconstruction. He promised support “to be able to repair very quickly” the broken video surveillance equipment, as well as financial aid to repair “roads, municipal establishments, schools”.
The President of the Republic has also opened long-term projects, from housing to decentralization, including juvenile justice and education, without going into detail. The executive must work on it during the summer “to lead to very concrete solutions”, because “we must not let the dough fall”, he launched in conclusion of this session which was not without recalling the “great debate” during the “yellow vests” crisis. He promised a stage point “at the end of the summer”.
Emmanuel Macron says he wants to “better support, better empower and sometimes better punish” the parents of children who are perpetrators of violence. Monday evening, in front of the police, he had considered a “kind of minimum rate from the first bullshit” of their child, taking up an antiphon from the right, criticized.
Cancellation of social and tax contributions possible
Tuesday at the end of the afternoon, the president was to take stock of the situation with the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, and some members of the government, who said he was open to “cancellations” of social security contributions and case-by-case tax for vandalized businesses. The Minister of Economy and Finance, Bruno Le Maire, said insurers had agreed to “consider deductible reductions”.
According to France Assureurs, 5,800 claims had been declared Tuesday morning following the riots, both by professionals and individuals. About 100 public buildings were degraded or destroyed in Île-de-France, while nearly 80 post offices in the country “could not reopen due to destruction or risk to staff and customers present”, depending on the company.
The Ministry of the Interior noted a new sharp decline in violence during the night from Monday to Tuesday, where 72 people were arrested, against several hundred at the height of the violence.
According to figures sent Tuesday to Agence France-Presse by the Ministry of the Interior, 3,486 people were arrested, 12,202 garbage cans and 5,892 vehicles burned, 1,105 buildings damaged by fire or degraded and 269 premises of the national police, gendarmerie or municipal police attacked since the night of June 27 to 28.
A total of 374 people have been tried in immediate appearance since Friday, according to the Ministry of Justice.